Carlo Fassi

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By Philip Hersh. and Philip Hersh covers the Olympics and international sports for the Tribune | December 5, 1996

Nicole Bobek is skating again. Sort of. She is practicing on the same rink with Michelle Kwan, whom Bobek defeated for the national title two years ago, but that physical proximity is ironic. There now seem to be light years of difference between the abilities and possibilities of the two women. Kwan is the reigning world champion, winner of two Champions Series events this season, already the gold-medal favorite for the 1998 Winter Olympics. Bobek, 19, is trying to recapture even a few milliseconds of her glorious moments in 1995, when she also won a bronze medal at the World Championships.

A day on which three U.S. women made figure skating history asked more questions than it answered about the team's prospects for the 1992 Olympics. Will Jill Trenary go from winning her first world title to an ice show? Will Holly Cook, the surprise bronze medalist, also quit competing, for some of the same reasons as Trenary? Will Kristi Yamaguchi, fourth overall but second in freestyle, give up pairs to concentrate on singles? The three young women won`t have much time soon to sit back and weigh such decisions.

At almost any other time in figure skating history, the world championship Jill Trenary won here would have been a big step on the golden brick road that leads to an Olympic title. Instead, the way she won that championship Saturday afternoon may lead her to take an even bigger step down an entirely different path. The times are changing so dramatically in the sport that Trenary may seize on the day of her greatest triumph as the perfect way to end her competitive skating career and move on to an ice show.

For four years, men's figure skating was the Battle of the Brians, with a red herring, Alexander Fadeyev of the Soviet Union, thrown in to enliven the competition between Brian Boitano of the U.S. and Brian Orser of Canada. That era ended in 1988, when Boitano beat Orser for the Olympic gold, and both turned pro. But history is repeating itself. Men's figure skating in the quadrennium leading to the 1992 Olympics has turned into the Battle of the B's, Kurt Browning of Canada and Christopher Bowman of the U.S., with Soviet Viktor Petrenko as the red menace.

It was during World War II, when the films and ice tours of three-time Olympic champion Sonja Henie captivated United States audiences, that figure skating became part of the American sporting scene. Henie spurred the first generation of U.S. singles skaters who came to dominate the sport for what is now nearly a half-century. U.S. men have won 21 of the last 47 world titles, U.S. women 19 of the past 41. Only four times since the end of World War II has the U.S. failed to win a singles medal in the World Figure Skating Championships.

The top skaters want to keep compulsory figures in their competitions, even if it means five hours a day of practicing an exercise as exciting as washing floors. The top coaches want them, knowing anything else could mean losing their jobs. The International Professional Skaters Union, a group of 93 coaches, voted 92-1 for retention last spring. Why, then, does everyone assume 1988 may be the last year compulsories are included in senior international figure skating championships?

Debi Thomas went through the opening phase of the World Figure Skating Championships with no pain, which seemed a relief. The problem was Thomas, the defending ladies` champion, became too comfortable with the lead she had going into the last of three compulsory figures Wednesday. After winning the first two figures, Thomas slipped to ninth in the third, the loop. Even so, her margin had been so big that Thomas dropped only to second place overall behind Kira Ivanova of the Soviet Union.

By Philip Hersh. and Philip Hersh covers the Olympics and international sports for the Tribune | April 17, 1997

Everything seemed back to normal for Nicole Bobek. Earlier this week, she was at the Sky Rink on Chelsea Pier, doing a photo shoot arranged by her new agents, the International Management Group. She would soon be off to Baltimore for the opening of the Tour of World and Olympic Figure Skating Champions. It was endless winter, the way it has been for skaters since their sport began to enjoy seasons in the media sun.

By Philip Hersh. and Philip Hersh covers Olympic and international sports for the Tribune | November 13, 1997

Todd Eldredge's shoulder is fine. His ribs aren't. As the four-time U.S. figure skating champion prepares for his second competition of the season, the Lalique Trophy beginning Friday in Paris, he is feeling the effects of a hard fall Oct. 25. Eldredge believes the pain in his severely sprained right shoulder may have masked damage done to his ribs in the fall during the free-skate warmup at Skate America. Skating through the pain, he came back to win the free skate and the competition.

They sat on the podium behind signs that said gold, silver and bronze, but the three young women could put equal value on their position. Each of the 17-year-olds had shown mettle Saturday that may have been worth more than her medal. Tiffany Chin had rallied from a disappointing performance in Friday's short program to win Saturday's freestyle and the National Figure Skating championship that was expected of her. Debi Thomas had gambled for a victory instead of playing safe for second place and a spot in the World Championships--and wound up a solid second, anyway.